Nationwide Housing Order declared to guard poultry from Avian Influenza

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has ordered a compulsory housing order to cowl the entire of England from 0001 on Thursday 6 November 2025, following the escalating variety of confirmations of avian influenza in stored and wild birds.

The new measures imply chook keepers throughout the entire of England should home all poultry and captive birds in the event that they hold greater than 50 (besides in particular circumstances e.g. some zoo birds) or in the event that they promote or give eggs away.

A GB large Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) can be in place and requires all keepers whether or not they have pet birds, industrial flocks or only a few birds in a yard flock to undertake enhanced biosecurity measures to mitigate the danger of additional outbreaks of the illness. These enhanced biosecurity measures embody reporting of modifications in egg manufacturing, necessary report holding, disinfecting footwear, and cleaning & disinfecting housing and concrete walkways on a steady foundation

This nationwide housing order extension follows final week’s introduction of housing measures for north, central and components of east of England to mitigate the danger of additional outbreaks of the illness.

Keepers ought to familiarise themselves with the steps they should take to forestall chook flu and cease it spreading and stay vigilant for indicators of illness and report it to maintain your birds protected.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss mentioned:

Given the continued improve within the variety of avian influenza circumstances in stored birds and wild birds throughout England, we are actually taking the troublesome step to increase the housing measures to the entire of England.

I respect the influence these measures have on business and am extraordinarily grateful for the continued cooperation of the poultry sector.  We know from earlier years that housing birds will convey the charges of an infection down from the excessive we’re at the moment experiencing.

I urge chook keepers to adjust to the brand new housing measures, proceed to train strong biosecurity measures, stay alert for any indicators of illness and report suspected illness instantly to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

All chook keepers in England whether or not they have pet birds, industrial flocks or only a few birds in a yard flock should:

• hold feed and bedding inside
• cleanse and disinfect clothes, footwear, tools and automobiles earlier than and after contact with poultry and captive birds– if sensible, use disposable protecting clothes
• scale back the motion of individuals, automobiles or tools to and from areas the place poultry and captive birds are stored, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and different merchandise
• perform efficient vermin management in any areas the place poultry and captive birds are stored
• totally cleanse and disinfect housing and concrete walkways on a steady foundation
• hold recent disinfectant on the proper focus in any respect farm and poultry housing entry and exit factors
• make your premises unattractive to wild birds (e.g. use chook scarers, foils or streamers)

Further info on the most recent scenario and steerage to assist chook keepers adjust to the brand new guidelines is out there through gov.uk/birdflu, You can verify for those who’re in a bird flu disease zone on the map and verify the declarations for particulars of the restrictions and gov.uk/birdflu for additional recommendation and knowledge.

The present threat to human well being stays low and as customary, correctly cooked poultry and poultry merchandise, together with eggs, are fit for human consumption. UKHSA stays vigilant for any proof of adjusting ranges of threat and are holding this underneath fixed evaluate.

The housing order and  AIPZ shall be in place till additional discover and shall be stored underneath common evaluate as a part of the federal government’s work to observe and handle the dangers of avian influenza.